People should be happy about this, they always say the best thing that can happen to a team with a lot of new guys is an early road trip because then they're forced to hang out with each other and hopefully develop off-court chemistry.

People should be happy about this, they always say the best thing that can happen to a team with a lot of new guys is an early road trip because then they're forced to hang out with each other and hopefully develop off-court chemistry.

I don't know. I think it's just something they say when things go right. When things go wrong they blame youth, or age, for not being able to overcome too tough an early schedule.
So, with that in mind, my beef is also that establishing an identity and rhythm at home is hugely important. The Raps haven't owned their home court properly in a long time...that needs to change, badly. So it's not just the lack of home games, it's how they're spread out. Only one 3-game home stand(in mid-Dec), and something like 5 one-off games that basically become "road" games. That's pretty garbage. Their earliest consecutive home games are just 2 in a row, capped on each end by 2 game road trips, and then they only have one-offs for a month!!!

I also am not convinced team chemistry will need that much time. We have a few new faces, but I think Fields and Lowry shouldn't have too much trouble. A lot of the rest of the rotation is the same. Fields even says in this Hoopsworld interview that they already started talking about next season (some guys and coaches, or something like that), which I bet includes him, Lowry (both in Vegas at the time for SL), Ed, Ross, Acy and Demar(there for US select). This group seems like they will blend well into what's already there, which leaves JV (anyone who dresses like Gandalf at an all-star game can't be shy) as probably the toughest, and only difficult guy to integrate.

November is going to be tough. That's a lot of road games and a lot of good teams. Jan/Feb will be the months to make hay with all the home games. The annual December west coast swing doesn't seem as bad as usual with only one back-to-back. There's not a killer second 5-game swing west as there has been in the past.

The worst part about TSN/TSN2 is that they are the only cheap ass sports channel that isn't in HD. If that's not bad enough, they make the Raptors games small and widescreen, so I have to zoom in twice just to make it fill up my HD TV. I hate TSN...

It's the sort of schedule where we may get off to a rough start by playing away so much. I figure there will be tons of "I told you so's", "They suck!" and calls for heads to roll...followed by a better record towards Xmas and lots of high expectations and hopes.

I always have a major problem with the lack of Toronto coverage on American television. First, when you can't see the team and don't follow it, often commentators and fans come-up with ignorant opinions and misconceptions, that do a disservice to the Toronto players, fans, and the city itself. Bosh, among other stars, has mentioned the lack of media coverage in the US as a major pet peeve of his...and was one of the reasons he left.